October 2005

QUENCHING OUR THIRSTY SOULS By Ken Guenther

What do 1 do to satisfy the longing in my soul? Isaiah invites us to drink from refreshing water that only God provides.

BOOMERANG EFFECT by Rodney Anderson

Dodging a boomerang is far easier than avoiding the boom that comes when we throw judgmental words at one another. Consider two dangers that come from judging others.

Sine

Jesus carried the weight of the world on his shoulders yet never seemed overloaded How did he do that? What can Jesus' life teach me about my priorities as a 2ISt century disciple?

> FiRST WORDS

[from t h e editor!

How DOES A MONTIlLY MAGAZINE REPORT ON SOMETIlING like last month's Hurricane Katrina? Our deadline for news stories - even if we wait until the very last possible moment - is still two weeks prior to the day the magazine is mailed. Much will have happened along the Gulf Coast in the past two weeks. So let me admit upfrom that in one sense our hurricane coverage beginning on page 19 is old news.

But we hope the information we've included will be new news to many Leader readers. Our articles focus on hurricane news with Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite connections. While there are no MB congregations along the Gulf Coast, there are 14 Gulf Coast Mennonite Conference congregations, members of our sister denomination Mennonite Church USA. And as always, Mennonite Disaster Service staff members were immediately investigating how best to aid in cleanup and rebuilding. Given the thousands of stories being told about surviving Hurricane Katrina and cleaning up in the aftermath, I trust we will connect in a unique way with stories from our Mennonite family.

Life and ministry along the Gulf Coast following Katrina is challenging. Consider Jubilee Mennonite Church in Meridian, Miss. In early September the church was a key recovery site for its community. In addition to church members offering assistance, Jubilee was being used as an American Red Cross receiving center and as a processing station for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. By Sept. 9, people were lined up for blocks waiting for aid. When the crowd became frustrated and then violent Mississippi National Guard troops were called in . MDS spokesman John Walker says the troops restored order, but FEMA left the location due to security concerns Sept. 13 Walker said that people were still lined up at the church for several blocks to receive help. Meridian is now one of three MDS bases of operation for Katrina response.

We also hear stories that remind us that Christians give witness to a hope that outshines hardship. Members of the only Mennonite church in New Orleans-a Honduran-American congregation- evacuated to relief centers in Houston, Tex., and Tampa, F1a. Most have lost their homes and jobs and don't plan to return to the area. They plan to start over where they are - and that includes planting new churches. The pastoral couple, however, does plan to return and rebuild the church. 'They have lost so much," writes Mennonite Church USA pastor Elaine Maust of nearby Meridian, Miss., in an e-mail to church leaders, "but their biggest concern continues to be spreading the Good News."

The clean-up and rebuilding that will follow this storm will be significant and we will provide updates in the Leader. If you or your congregation has a story to share about responding to Hurricane Katrina, please email us at christianleader@usmb.org.

> QUOT ABLE

"It's hard for Mennonites to just sit. Our Gospel often wears overalls "Kevin King, Mennonite Disaster Service executive coordinator in an interview with Chicago Tribune columnist Charles M. Madigan

> UP & COMING

• Oct. 14-16

• Nov. 3- 6

• Nov 4-5

National Youth Leaders' Summit, An aheim , Calif. Central District Conference convention , Salem MB Church, Bridgewater, SD Pacific District C onference convention, Fresno Pacific University

OCTOBER 2005

Volume 68

Number 10

Connie Faber EDITOR

Myra Holm es ASSISTANT EDITOR

El ai ne Ewe rt GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Statement of ownership, management and circulation

Publication title: Christian Leader. Publication number: 0009-5419. Filing date: 09/23/05. Issue frequency: monthly. Number of issues published annually: 12 Annual subscription price: $18. Complete mailing address of known office of publication : 315 S Lincoln, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: same. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher: U.S. Conference of MB Churches, 315 S. Lincoln, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063; Editor: Connie Faber, 315 S. Lincoln, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Managing editor: none. Owner : U.s Conference of MB Churches, 315 S. Lincoln, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: none. Tax status has not changed during proceeding 12 months. Issue date for circulation data: Sept. 2005. Extent and nature of circulation: the first number represents the average number of copies of each issue during the proceeding 12 months, the number in parentheses is the number of copies of a single issue (Sept. 2005) published nearest the filing date. l al Total number of copies : 10,042 (10,082) Ibl Paid/requested circulation: 1) paid/requested outside county mail subscriptions : 8,969 18,925) 2) Paid in-county subscriptions: 610 (612)3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other nonUSPS paid distribution: 0 (0) 4) Other classes mailed through the USPS: 268 (270) lei Total paid and/or requested circulation: 9,847 (9,807) (dl Free distribution by mail: 3 (30) l ei Free distribution outside the mail: 12 (15) 1fI Total free distribution: 15 (45)lgl Total distribution: 9,862 (9,852) Ihl Copies not distributed: 180 (230) iii Total: 10,042 (10,082) Ijl Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 99.85% (99 54%1. I certify that all information furnished is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions and/or civil sanctions.

Signed: Connie Faber

POSTMASTER Send address Changes to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas

CONNIE FABER 1 dlll),

> Readers SAY

From Tunbuktu

I am writing in response to Marvin Hein's May Inquiring Minds column in which he asks "who in Timbuktu reads Rejoice! or any other MBMSI news releases?"

The answer is, we do! Thanks to our loyal and loving church family who make sure we get not just Rejoice! but also the Leader and several different church bulletins Timbuktu is just a couple hundred miles north of here. Here is N'Dorola, Burkina Faso, West Africa where we (Phil, Carol and Maria Bergen) are working as MB missionaries sharing God's Word with mostly Muslim people.

Thanks for mentioning our neck of the woods and for the laugh it provided. It reminds me of a credit card slogan and the irony of a lot of mission work locations. For missionaries to the unreached parts of the globe it is often the case that "we are everywhere you wouldn't want to be!"

Thanks Mr. Hein and mission director Randy Friesen for reminding the folks that we have people "out there" where challenges exist and where even using a person's full name in a publication is risky.

Phillip Bergen

N'Dorola , Burkina Faso

Staying in touch

While every issue of the Christian Leader has significant articles and news of interest; after reading the July issue I felt that I should write to simply say thank you. As a seminary alumnus, semi-retired pastor and one who had the privilege of serving on various Canadian and former General Conference boards, it is a blessing to stay in touch with so many brothers and sisters that we know and respect Reading about God's blessing on your churches and conference through leaders like MB Biblical Seminary President Jim Holm; Reedley Pastor Dennis Fast; Executive Director Chuck Buller; former Canadian Rose Buschman and many more has inspired us to join you in praising God for all those who are faithfully serving the Lord

Herb Neufeld Langley, BC

MBBS anniversary issue

We read the September Christian Leader with interest since my husband, Eugene L. Janzen, was also a member of the first class that graduated in 1958 His name was

omitted in the article ''A Personal Tou r" written by Elmer Martens. Gene completed his studies, wrote his thesis and received his diploma but was not a part of any of the graduation exercises He graduated in absentia, having left school and Fresno two months early in answer to a call by the Southern District Conference to become pastor of a mission church in Los Ebanos on the border of south Texas

Lillian Janzen

Fairview, OK

Standing

up

I am writing in response to Deanna Peters "Readers Say" letter in the August issue. If you need to stand up to tyranny, then you will need to stand up to Iran and North Korea . Both have or will have nuclear weapons. Thank God Sadam Hussein did not, or our world would be completely different now

Steve Goossen

Dinuba, Calif

Warren and sinners

I see elements in today's evangelicalism that soft sells the doctrine of salvation. We must not undervalue the teaching and lessons of repentance.

In Rick Warren's 40 Days of Purpose, he has leaders read a scripted "sinner's prayer." The end of this short prayer reads, " I want to open my life to you I ask you to come into my life and make yourself real to me. Use this series in my life to help me know what you made me for. Thank you. Amen." The leader then reads, " If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, I congratulate you You've just become a part of the family of God ."

Wait a minute! Where is the acknowledgement of sin? Where is the repentance? While many who are already saved are finding truth in this book, the seeker may be given a warped understanding of what it means to be saved. There is no salvation without repentance I'm afraid we may grow a generation where the tares ournumber the wheat. Warren states that the consequences of not knowing your purpose in life will seem "tiresome, unfulfilling and uncontrollable " Don 't you think it is putting eternal separation from God in a lake of fire a bit mildly?

Warren's salvation prayer is a blatant error in a basic doctrine of Christianity. What bothers me is that either few can recognize it or only a few are willing to rain on a best-selling book's parade.

Warren is giving people enough to make them think they're saved, but not enough for them to desire laying down their lives for Christ. The Purpose Driven Life seems more like personal fulfillment than denial of self. It certainly parallels what we want the saved person to be and do, but it may lead some to be convinced they're saved, only to find they never crossed the chasm of sin that separates them from God . Who are those people that call on the Lord's name, but Jesus said he never knew them?

Clinton Bergen Orland, Calif

Planting new churches-right now

New churches bring people to Jesus, so we need to plant more new churches.

People ask me why aren't we getting new churches planted Well, for one thing it takes time to find the right location and to do demographic studies. It takes time to find and develop church planters. It just takes time. And we're working hard at it. In fact Mission USA, working in partnership with district church planting boards, has identified several new church plant possibilities.

While I know why it is taking time to plant churches, I still can't help it. I want to see new churches - right now! I dream of new churches starting in each of our districts in the next few months . I envision people coming to Jesus through those churches. I see our existing churches excitedly partnering with Mission USA to plant new churches Mission USA, again in partnership with district church planting boards, will be asking several existing churches to significantly support church plants that are close in proximity. Why? Because there is real, tangible strength attained through developing partnerships among churches within a city or region.

Starting several new churches is not a pipe dream. It's our mandate from Jesus. He told us, "I'm going to the Father; you go and reach people with my message and start new churches in my name" (my paraphrase).

Think about this . Jesus tells us to go and spread the Gospel all over the place. But it's my opinion that presently we Mennonite Brethren are just not getting the job done Yes, we have a great mission agency that is doing wonderful things around the world Yes, we have a handful of congregations that have started new chu rches on their own that are doing very well . Yes, we have a few churches that are growing and are aggressively reaching people with the good news.

But as a whole we're simply not doing too well in starting new churches and reaching unchurched people. I fear in some cases we've lost our evangelistic fervor and our fervor for starting new churches. Not that we set out to lose our fervor, mind you, it just happened.

Did you know that brand new churches are the most effective evangelistic tool in America today ? C. Peter Wagner, author of Church Planting for a Greater Harvest writes, "The single most effective evangelistic methodology

under heaven is planting new churches." Lyle Schaller, recognized expert in evangelism and church growth, says, "The most important single argument for making new church development a high priority is this: it is the most effective means for reaching unchurched persons."

And I could quote several other evangelists and church growth experts who all say the same thing. New churches have a mindset and a passion to reach the unchurched I believe we need to plant many, many more new churches .

Can we get excited and passionate about reaching lost people? Can we begin to have a rumbling in our collective spirit to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus? Who will say, "It's not about us - our needs and wants. It's about building Christ's Kingdom." Can we have a vision that causes us to throw our collective efforts into planting new churches and into intensifying the outreach efforts of our existing churches? I pray that can be so!

We are not out to plant mega-churches We are not out to plant churches that preach a "watered-down" version of the Word. We are not out to start new churches that just put on a nice show. The intention of Mission USA is to plant MB churches that preach the Word, are creative, innovative and culturally relevant and are on fire for Jesus. We are looking for dynamic, gifted church planters who can cast a vision for growth and outreach We strive to plant strong viable churches all across the U.S.

We need resources to do this. It takes money along with passion to reach people with the good news. It costs a lot to begin a new church, but remember that God is using new churches to reach lost people. Are we willing to do whatever it takes? Will our churches and our people step up to the plate and fund these efforts and develop partnerships of support? We have the message people need. Do we have the commitment to get it to them? Again, I pray so.

Please pray for this effort to plant new churches and to plant them quickly. And please open up your pocketbook. You can go to www .usmb .org to give or send your gift earmarked for Mission USA to Box 220, Hillsboro , KS 67063 It's an investment in eternity

Vietnamese pastor released from prison

Nguyen Hong Quang, the Mennonite pastor imprisoned in Vietnam since his arrest June 8, 2004, was released Aug. 30. Evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach is now the only one of the six Mennonite church leaders arrested since March 2004 still being held in prison.

At a November 2004 trial by the People's Court on charges relating to resisting officers of law, the six were given sentences ranging from a few months to three years. Le Thi Hong Lien, a children's teacher and the only woman in the group, was released in April after serving 10 months of her oneyear sentence. Three others had been released earlier.

In April, the Supreme People's Court dismissed the appeals of both Quang and Thach and upheld their original sentences of three and two years, respectively

During the past 14 months, Quang has been moved about among five different prisons. His health was seriously affected by harsh conditions, hard labor and beatings by criminals in the prisons. His Bible was confiscated and he was forbidden to pray for other prisoners and disciplined for preaching to them.

Mennonites in Vietnam believe that Quang's early release is the result of the great concern expressed by many governments, human rights agencies, international press coverage and evangelical believers both within and beyond Mennonite circles.MWC

Congolese seek election observers

Chri stia ns in the Democ ratic Re public of Co n go a re see kin g vo luntee rs fr o m thro ughout th e wo rld to observe th e country ' s fi rs t democratic electi on s in 4 S years

Th e n ati on al co un cil o f Prot es t a nt c hurc hes a nd th e Catholic C hurc h of th e DRC are lookin g fo r 10,000 volunteers to ob serve n ext month 's con stitutional refere nd um and pres idential and p a rli a mentary el ection s som etime between March and Jun e 2006.

Mennonite Ce ntral C ommittee and Mennonite and Me nn o nite Brethren co n-

grega tio n s in th e DRC will provide food , lodging and in -c ountry tran sportation fo r up t o 200 el ection o b se rve rs. Th e natio n al coun c il of Prot est ant churches w ill prov ide trainin g, pl acement and supe rvisio n Th e DRC continues t o struggle with the effe cts of decades of despoti sm and a wa r fro m 1998 to 2002 that claimed an estimated 3.8 milli on lives, mostl y thro ugh st arvation and disease. Th e Congolese MB C onference is th e

seco nd largest MB conference in the wo rld, acc ording t o MB MS Intern ati o n al. Statisti cs co mpiled in 2003 by M enn o nite Wo rld Confe rence indi cate that MB s and M ennonites in the DRC number 194 ,000. Suzann e Lind, MCC coun try re presentative, writes, ' There is a g row ing se nse amo ng some in th e churches th at th e historic M ennonite commitm ent to peace makin g calls th em to b e more involved in pea cebuilding efforts and post-confl ict issues such as civic educatio n and trauma healing ." Info rm atio n about serving as an electi o n ob server is p ost e d onlin e at www. mcc.orglcongoelections. - MWC

Quang greets family members

, Former MWC president wins seat in regional parliament

Mennonite World

Conference president and leader of he Miserete Kristos Church has been elected to the city council of Ethiopia's capital. Million Belete took office in September in the Regional Parliament, which serves Addis Ababa.

Belete's political entry is a radical departure from the thinking and practice of Mennonites and most evangelical Christians in Ethiopia, says Carl E. Hanson, resource development director for Miserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa.

"In the last several decades there has been a strong consensus of opinion among evangelicals that 'true Christians' will not get involved in politics," Hanson says. Involvement was seen to include political rallies, voting and being a candidate However, that opposition has softened as Ethiopia's formerly Marxist dictatorship has become a more democratic government, he added.

Belete led a campaign by the Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia to encourage Christians to participate as voters and candidates in the May national elections. When asked why he didn't run for office himself, he prayed about it and asked others to pray, too. Some cautioned him against running; others encouraged him. Told he would not win if he ran as an independent, he accepted the invitation of the six-monthold Coalition for Unity and Democracy party to run on its ticket. Belete won the seat. A student from Miserete Kristos College was also elected.

Belete believes that as a Christian, he has a responsibility to enter politics as an example. " Moses was a member of Parliament with God to write a law. Being light and being salt in the political world is needed," says Belete.-MWC

FPU unveils structure, logo

Fresno Pacific University begins the 2005-2006 academic year with a neworganization and new looks.

The university has moved to four schools based on areas of study The school of business, the school of education, the school of natural sci-

FRESNO PACIFIC

ences and the school of humanities , religion and social sciences replace the three schools based on student population (undergraduate college, graduate school and school of professional studies).

Schools organized by discipline allow faculty in similar fields to better work together on teaching and research and present students with a clear career path. "Students know much more about where they're going in a school of business or a school of natural sciences than an undergraduate college,"

President D. Merrill Ewert says.

In the new university logo, unveiled this summer, the circular form depicts McDonald Hall, the campus' signature building, and picks up the hall's architectural themes : an archway reflecting Christian mission and a classic entryway as well as columns associated with learning, knowledge and ethics The sunburst radiates energy, innovation, light. hope and spiritual growth. - FPU

N EWSCLiPS KASDORF

AUTOBIOGRAPHY RELEASED

The recently released autobiography of Hans Kasdorf, Mennonite Brethren missiologist and MB Biblical Seminary faculty member, is a story that literally spans the globe. Design of My Journey is published jointly by Center for MB Studies in Fresno, Calif., and VTR Publications in Nurnberg, Germany. Kasdorf was born in the Soviet Union, grew up in Brazil, studied in North America and South Africa and has been involved in ministry in both North America and Europe for the past 30 years. "There are few MBs with the international connections that (Kasdorf) has," says Paul Toews, CMBS director. The book can be ordered from CMBS by calling 559-452-1726 or e-mailing pttoewslafresno.edu.

MEDA CONVENTION ANNOUNCED

One of North America's leading ski resorts-site of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games-is home to this year's Business as a Calling convention, Nov. 3-6, in Whistler, BC. This year's Mennonite Economic Development Associates' convention will emphasize the role that work, economics and excellence play in providing hope and opportunity to others. MEDA has 2,500 members in North America and operates economic development programs in 10 countries. For more information call 1800-665-7026 or visit www.businessasacalling,org,-MEDA

SANDOVALS BEGIN MCC ASSIGNMENT

Julie and Roberto Sandoval, members of Butter MB Church in Fresno, Calif., are beginning a two-year Mennonite Central Committee assignment in Cambodia. Roberto will be working as an English teacher. Julie's position is yet to be determined They have three children, Robert, age 14, Tatiana, age eight, and Selah, age five.-MCC

e believe that Jesus calls people who have experienced the joy of new birth to follow him as discIpIes .... To be a disciple means to be true to Jesus in everyday life.» These sentences are the booken s of the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith article on discipleship. Article 10 reminds s that discipleship is the norm for 11 believers, not just a select fe I may be the norm but living like a disciple 24 hours a day, se en days a week and 365 days a year hard work. We hope the fea e articles in this issue of the Lea r will be an encouragement. thirst for God's refreshing prence. To delight in learning fro Jesus. To glimpse what happen in everyday life when true disciples are salt and light for th ir neighbors.

Discipleship • uenc In

How do I fulfill the spiritual longing in my life? In Isaiah we are invited to drink from the refreshing water that only God provides..

T HIRST IS TIIE BODy'S CRY FOR HELP

Scientists tell us that the adult human body is about 50 to 65 percent water A human brain its elf is 75 percent water Water is needed to carry essential nutrients to the body, for temperature regu lation within th e body and for lubtication of joints. We ca n go without food for weeks but only a few days without water God made us so that we in stantly kn ow when we need to repl eni sh this important in gredient in our bodies.

Does our soul also have a thi rs t sensation ? Yes, and th ere are two co mmon ways we try to address that need We eith er ignore it or try to fill it with thin gs that do not satisfy

In Isaiah 55: 1-3, the writer desc ribes a th ird option . "Come, all yo u who are thi rsty, come to th e waters ; and yo u who have no money, come, bu y and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and with out cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and yo ur labor on what does not sati sfy ? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and yo ur soul will delight in the richest of fare Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everl astin g cove nant with yo u, my faithful love promised to David."

Thirsty or content?

In these words of invitation , the prophet looks ISO years into the future and sees the people exiled in Babylon where they will live for 70 years. A generation will pass away and the Jews will grow roots in th is new land. They will acquire property and businesses, some will attain positions of power and some will be quite prosperous. In the last half of his book, Isaiah, by the Spirit, predicts their return from exile. In fact he challenges and commands them to leave (Isa. 48:20; 52:n ).

Some of the Jews in exile were longing to return. They hungered for God's blessing and longed for the fulfillment of God's promises, particularly the promised Messiah. But apparently some were content to stay and enjoy life in Babylon. They didn't seem to care about their own spiritual condition or God's plan for them.

The prophet does not cajole or argue with them. Rather he disturbs their complacency by questioning whether they are truly satisfied. He is seeking to stimulate a desire for something more.

I'm sure all of us have been invited to a table laden with our favorite meal at a time when we thought we were not hungry. But the sight and smell of the food suddenly aroused an appetite, and we could hardly wait to fill our plate. Likewise, Isaiah is inviting the Jews and us to God's cold, clear spring and hoping we will get thirsty

Recognizing thirst

The first step in satisfying our soul thirst is to recognize that we are thirsty. Blaise Pascal, the famous French mathematician and scientist, said that every person has a God-shaped vacuum in their heart that only God can fill. The God who created us built into our souls a spiritual thirst, a craving for himself that reminds us that we need him to sustain our spiritual life

If we get away from all the noise and bustle of this world and listen to our hearts, we find that deep down we want more than just what this world has to offer. We sense emptiness in our lives, a lack of satisfaction, an unhappiness that we cannot put our finger on. Something is missing. We may not be able to identify it, but there is a thirst for something, something that money, popularity, a good job, a big house or a fast car will never give us.

I dare say that many of us don't often realize we have this thirst. Sometimes we try to pretend we really aren't thirsty, that we are content with our life the way it is. We keep ourselves busy with our jobs, going for coffee with friend s and taking the kids to variou s sporting events . We try to ignore the nagging sensation that maybe, just maybe, we are not experiencing all that God has for us

B Y KEN G U E NTH E R

We follow the rules, go to church and maybe even serve in the church in some way. But inwardly we have to admit, if we are really being honest, that we are dry inside. We are spiritually dehydrated , and we try to tell ourselves that we can't expect anything more, that this is normal in the Christian life.

May I suggest that the reason many people, even Christians, do not experience soul thirst is that they no longer recognize the signs of thirst. They do not realize what they are missing, and they do not realize how dry and parched their souls really are.

What does not satisfy

In verse two Isaiah gently rebukes his listeners. Why waste your time, money and energy on that which does not satisfy? Isaiah does not rebuke the people for having a thirst because God put it there in the first place. But they were not looking in the right places for the solution to that thirst.

We often do the same thing. We so easily believe Satan's lie that the Christian life is really not satisfying. The lie in the Garden of Eden is repeated over and over again: "God is holding out on us. If we live in obedience to what God has said we will miss out on the best of life If we are really going to find satisfaction we have to look out for ourselves." It is a lie that Satan has told many thousands of times and people, even Christians, regularly believe it.

In an artempt to address this need, we make external changes. We try to change our appearance. We change jobs, looking for careers that will provide more money or fulfillment We buy new cars, new toys and bigger houses. If we can't afford to buy these things we dream about them, thinking that if·we only had these things then we would be happy.

We change churches, thinking that maybe our craving will be met if the worship style is different or if we have a different pastor. Sometimes people think their spouses are the problem, and so they get divorced and look for someone else , all in an attempt to find something to fill the void.

Now we would agree that trading your spouse in for a newer model is not right. But is it wrong to try to change your appearance, your career, your house or even your church? Not necessarily. Often there are good and healthy reasons for making these changes.

But sometimes we don't really address the problem when we make the change. We misinterpret the soul thirst. We think we need something external to change in order to fill this nagging sense of emptiness in our lives. We do not realize that this thirst is really God calling to our heart.

Pursuing satisfaction

So what does satisfy? Where can we find that which will truly quench that soul thirst? Isaiah says , "Come to the waters .... Come, buy wine and milk." Isaiah describes this soul-quenching commodity as available to everyone, free for the taking and connected to hearing the words of God. What is he talking about?

As evangelicals we say that the prophet is talking about salvation. Only eternal life in C hrist satisfies our heart 's deepest needs But is that

Discipleship

just the answer we learned in Sunday schoo!, or is it experienced as reality in our lives?

Isaiah says, 'i\nd then .. .your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Does your soul delight in God? Do you find your personal devotions deeply nourishing and refreshing? Do you long to talk to God in prayer, either with other Christians or by yourself? Do you find worship to be an invigorating experience?

I have to admit that I do not always find communion with God as richly refreshing

lessons . It will take time in God's presence, time where we allow God to speak to us. We must spend time in his Word, meditating on it.

Unfortunately many of our lives are so busy that we rarely ever give God a chance to speak to us. There are so many things that distract us that I find even IS minutes often just isn't enough to truly quiet my hean and to allow that gentle quiet whisper to nourish my soul. In order to replenish my soul I need to go away by myself to quiet places, preferably some place with a good view of God's creation I take along my Bible and a good book and spend a halfday or more with God.

Each of us has different ways in which we experience God's closeness. For some it is in solitude. For others it is a retreat with other believers. The imponant thing is that we replenish our souls with that which really does satisfy.

We think we need something external to change in order to fill this nagging sense of emptiness in our lives. We do not realize that this thirst is really God calling to our heart.

and nourishing as it could be. I go through dry times . But I have tasted of the water often enough that I know it is for real. Life with God is far more satisfying than any other accomplishment, object or relationship on this eanh

God created us for communion with him, and his intention is that communion will be infinitely satisfying. Full satisfaction awaits us in heaven, but we can begin to taste it here. It truly can be all that we ever wanted.

So if we recognize that we are thirsty and we recognize what doesn't satisfy, how do we drink in a way that truly satisfies the soul thirst? There are some clues in verses two and three: "Listen, listen to me Give ear and come to me." Further on in Isaiah 55:6 we read, "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

Faith. It seems to me that faith is a necessary prerequisite. We must believe that God really does want to satisfy our souls and not give up until we truly meet God.

Time. Spiritual dehydration does not happen overnight. Replenishing our inner beings and filling the empty well inside doesn't happen overnight either. It won't happen in just 90 minutes every Sunday morning. It may take patiently waiting on God, allowing him to teach us some difficult

Others. Besides the Bible, read good books by people who have learned to drink deeply of the spring that Jesus promises Talk to others who have gone through the dry times and found the well on the other side.

Cost of nourishment

Is it worth the time and effort? "I am a busy person," you may be saying. "I can't afford to spend that much time nourishing my spiritual life." Can you afford not to?

What happens if we don't drink enough water? Our mouths become dry, our throats become parched, our heads start to hurt and we begin to feel weak If our body loses IS percent of its water, we lose our vision and our hearing, our tongues begin to swell and our skin begins to feel numb . None of us would choose to allow our bodies to become that dehydrated.

So what happens when we allow our souls to become dehydrated and we ignore it because we are too busy? We lose the joy of our salvation. We find we have nothing to share with others, we have no desire to serve God and we find little fulfillment in prayer, reading the Bible or worship . We become discouraged, irritable and discontent. We become susceptible to temptations we would have never considered if we were spiritually well nourished. Can we really afford to allow our souls to continue to stay dry, to ignore the signs of spiritual dehydration?

God is always willing to satisfy our thirst. In the last chapter of the Bible we read, 'Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17)

If you admit you are thirsty, if you recognize that nothing else but God can satisfy that thirst and seek after God with all your heart, God will never leave you dry and unsatisfied. Don't settle for substitute wells. They are all dry. Nothing satisfies soul thirst except the God who made us and redeemed us.

Ken Guenther, his wife and two children serve with SEND International in Russia . This article was adapted from a sermon given at Osler Mission Chapel where Guenther is a member. It was first published by The Chronicle, the publication of the Chortitzer Mennonite Conference and a member of Meetinghouse, the association of Mennonite and Anabaptist publications. It is reprinted with permission .

The boomerang effect

Ever had a criticaL word come back to haunt you?

That's

the boomerang effect.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE «BOOM" OF a boomerang?

Throwing a boomerang appears to be the ultimate lazy man's sport You throw the boomerang and it comes right back to you. No hassle, no fuss and no strenuous exertion. If you throw it properly

Controlling a boomerang's trajectory is no easy feat. Wind, thrust and target movement all factor into accuracy. Good intentions don't count for much when you inadvertently hit the wrong target. And failing to catch the boomerang makes the one who launches it the target You may need to develop the fine art of ducking .

Still, dodging a boomerang is far easier than avoiding the boom that comes when we throw judgmental words at one another God challenges us to direct our attention inward and to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) We must give an account for our actions and our attitudes not those of others.

When we ignore this challenge and take on the role of judge, we run certain risks. Just like throwing a boomerang has certain dangers, so does judging others

Danger 'III: I become the target

Unfortunately there is no need to take a course in judging others; it comes naturally. Instead of declaring God's truth and allowing it to judge, we so often judge others.

In the process, we ourselves become the target. Our statements often reflect our own failings. "I just don't like him ," we may say. "He is so critica1. " Or, "I wish she would stop being so judgmental of others. " We are critical of another for being critica1. Suddenly the boomerang of judging has hit its mark and we are the targets.

We often pick apart our mates , children, parents, family members , friends and fellow believers simply

because they reflect our own weaknesses . We also feel the boom because we so often judge with a shifting standard. Inconsistency is our only consistency. No one measures up to our standard, a standard that we ourselves could never keep . There is no excuse and there is no escape when we become the target of our own judgments "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" says Romans 2 :3

Scripture declares that there is no viable defense for the one who judges another. Romans 2 :1 says "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

Danger #:2. : G od becomes the target .

When we judge others in a manner contrary to God we demonstrate "contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance" (Rom. 2:4) God becomes the target of our boomerang.

Contempt means to think down upon. When we judge another person we believe that person is not worthy of God's kindness, tolerance and patience. We disagree with God . By delaying his judgment God is demonstrating mercy and grace. By demanding God's judgment, we deny his mercy and grace

We demand that God judge, and in the same breath we ask that God be gracious unto us. How inconsistent. Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7 :1-2).

While we may wonder why God has not judged, we must revel in his grace. We must understand that "the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9) . God challenges us to leave the judging up to him. God judges based on truth and not on feelings (Rom 2:2). God judges out of strength and not out of weakness (Rom. 14:10-13).

Avoid the boomerang of judging. Desire to be blessed by God? Ask God to bless others. Desire to be forgiven by God? Ask God to enable you to forgive others Desire to experience the full gamut of his grace? Ask God to be gracious towards others.

Remember the boom of the boomerang. Your thoughts, words and actions may pronounce judgment upon you or even worse, show contempt for God 's kindnes s that "leads you toward repentance. "

Rodney D. Anderson is pastor of Millard Bible Church in Omaha, Neb This article is adapted from a sermon Anderson preached based on Romans 2:1-4·

5 a er

This is the story of what happened when one family befriended that ""bad" kid next door.

Is THERE AN OBNOXIOUS CHILD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

One you wou ld prefer your children not associate with - the "bad influence?"

I was tha t child . A precocious II -year-old whose language and mannerisms you would prefer to remain on the oth er side of the fence. Definitely not the Christian friend you would desire for your children. But I chall enge you not to give up on that child.

My mother was 48 when she had me, an "oops" baby. My father, 18 years her senior and an alcoholic, died when I was three months old, leaving her to raise three natural children and three from his previous marriage. Three more husbands followed and several "in-between gentlemen lodgers" filled the gaps, so to speak.

To say my childhood was dysfunctional puts it mildly. I lived in Great Britian until I was II. After the age of fo ur, I spent nights alone while my mother sang at pubs I was very proficient getting myself up, fed and dressed for school. Regarding God I was told : "Behave yourself or God up there will get yo u and take you away." What God would have done with me once he took me I was never told, but I made sure I avoided him and his followers.

When I was II, my mother and I along with my 22-year-old brother John, who was well on his way to becom ing an alcoholic, moved to Canada. By God's design we moved to Burnaby, BC in early November an d rented the cottage owned by and neighboring the home of Peter and MaryAnn Konrad.

Due to the holiday season I quickly saw the Konrad's Christian commitment in action. That Christmas fo r the first time we had a Christmas tree , purchased by the Konrads and adorned with ornaments they no longer used. We received a Christmas box from Fraserview MB Church in Vancouver - a church we had never attended - that had some girl's clothing in it that actually fit me.

That first C hristmas in Canada I saw something happening next door that was new to me. I had always spent Christmas alone. Christmas Eve my mother was away, singing at the local pub, and my b roth er was out drinking Christmas morning I opened my gifts alone while they slept off their hangovers. That's not what the Konrads did.

My broth er was unemployed for six months when we arrived in Canada. Peter spoke to a C hri stian fri end of his working at the Sears store near their home and suddenly John had a job. John continued working at Sears, rising through the ranks to management until his retirement a few years ago.

MaryAn n invited me over for backyard summer picnic lunches. With no one in the house during the summ er months I became the Konrad's summer pest, a fly that would not go away She never co mpla ined or lost her smile or manners, even when I would knock at her back door in my pajamas at 7:00 a. m. b ecause my mother had not yet come home. MaryAnn had the grace never to ask where my mother or brother was or why I was left alone .

That firs t summer spent playing with the Konrad children was one of the happiest summers of my life. We cl imbed their cherry tree, played in their vacant hen house, and acted out Bible stories, complete with costumes and a willing audience of MaryAnn and Peter

Peter was always kind when, arriving home from his construction work filthy and tired, he wo uld find me sitting in his kitchen "nattering" my head off, swinging my legs on the chai r and

regaling MaryAnn and their wide eyed children with stories and household secrets that should have never left our home.

I had many meals with the Konrad family. I was the type of child who seasoned the meal as well as playtime with expletives that raised everyone's eyebrows a notch or two. I did not concern myself with a tissue or hanky. Why bother when a sweater sleeve was so readily available? While the other children patiently waited to say grace, I dove into my meal with gusto, wiping my mouth on a sleeve and wondering what everyone was waiting for.

When MaryAnn invited me to attend Sunday school I figured it couldn't hurt. My house was either empty or my mother and brother were "sleeping it off." God wouldn't "get me" as long as I behaved, and besides, the Konrads seemed to know God personally and talked to him in prayer on a regular basis. In fact the oldest child, a boy my age, would often pray for me by name when we had our picnic lunches.

So began my adventure at the Fraserview MB Church. I got a Sunday school book and pencil, pictures to color, heard exciting stories and was promised a prize if I regularly memorized Bible verses. All this was free That meant my mother could not get angry with me for making her spend her cigarette money. It was worth sitting through an hour of church just to listen to the singing, bask in the smiles and love of the people and take home my treasures for the next week.

An exciting transformation began to occur in my brother's life. His Christian friend at Sears led him to the Lord. Slowly his violent outbursts dissipated and his language changed The drinking seemed to stop instantaneously and in time he was released from his cigarette habit. John blossomed.

Sadly we moved on to another rental home, leaving the Konrad's warmth behind. But my brother was determined that I attend Sunday school. Throughout my early teen years I invited Jesus into my heart numerous times, waiting for a zap of lightning to jolt my body and instantly transform the bad , secret me into a new, clean and beautiful person that couldn't possibly sin any more.

It wasn't until I was 17 that I fully grasped the meaning of God's unconditional love and grace. The difficulties of my childhood plagued me. It was hard to grasp the concept of an unchanging God when my mother's love for me changed on a whim. ''You stupid girl, spilling the ketchup. I don't love you any more," she would say 'Tm leaving you, packing my bags and I'm NOT coming back." "Forget you ever had a mother because I am going to forget I ever had a daughter!"

I longed desperately for the reality I saw in the teens

B Y VONNIE MOSTAT

around me, and one evening at a teen prayer meeting I cried out to God in my despair. Instantly the teens surrounded me with their arms and love and prayed me through the sinner's prayer, holding me as I wept.

It wasn't long after that experience that our gracious and all-loving God gave me the gift of a wonderful Christian husband who was raised in a "normal" stable Christian home, so different from my own childhood and just what I needed . We bought a home in Coquitlam and then moved to Langley Our family grew with the birth of two children.

My life has continued to intersect with the Konrad family. Shortly after I was married we attended an Easter pageant at Willingdon MB Church and sat a few rows behind Peter and MaryAnn. I recognized them immediately and we boldly introduced ourselves following the service. There were hugs and tears and we were invited back to their home MaryAnn had tears of happiness as I shared our spiritual journey over the past 10 years. I was able to tell them personally how their witness had sown seeds deeply into my life and that my mother had now accepted the Lord.

When we joined the South Langley MB Church, one of the first couples to invite us to share a meal with them were Peter's older brother and his wife, Jake and Elizabeth. Jake at one time had been introduced to my family when we first came to Canada. Coincidence? I defy you to draw that conclusion!

I am thankful that I was able to tell Peter and MaryAnn before their deaths that my brother John had led my stepsister in England to the Lord and that another brother in England had accepted the Lord along with a niece and nephew. The seeds Peter and MaryAnn had sown had borne fruit. Their seeds had traveled across the ocean without their even knowing it.

Our son is married to a beautiful woman who gifted us with two grandchildren. Now I hear my daughter-in-law arranging playdates with other children for our grandchildren. The children are most often from Christian homes. I know this is beneficial. Scripture challenges us with regard to the friends we choose and encourages relationships that uplift us and encourage our Christian walk.

But I listen with mixed emotions Yes, we are known by the company we keep. And our children need the fellowship and encouragement of other Christian children much as we ourselves need Christian friends

But I also know that we are the light of the world, a city set on a hill. Our salt needs to be shaken out of the salt shaker once in a while-out of our comfort zone and into our neighbor's home. And I wonder what would have happened to me if Peter and M aryAnn Konrad had determined that their children were not to play with that pesky and obnoxious kid next door

This article has been adapted from one published in the MB Herald, a Canadian MB Conference publication where it received a second place award in th e Ca nadian Church Press personal experience category

Discipleship D

I know how God wants me to live my life when I look at how he lived his earthly life.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CALLED BY GOD? It is a question that we all struggle with as we seek to do God's work in the world.

My husband Tom and I spent a recent Easter on Iona, a tiny windswept island off Scotland that played a strategic part in the Christian history of Europe. Iona was founded by Columba, an Irish prince who believed from birth that God was calling him to impact the lives of thousands . He received the best education and became a leader in the church.

Tragically, Columba allowed his pride and possessiveness to distract him . He copied a book of psalms that belonged to another monk. According to the copyright rules of the day the monk owned Columba's copy. Columba refused to give the book up and the ensuing dispute escalated into a war in which thousands of soldiers died

Columba was exiled and with a small group of friends sailed until they could no longer see Ireland. They landed on lona where Columba experienced God's forgiveness and a renewal of his life vision. He built a monastic community that became one of the great centers of Christian faith. It was from here during the 6th to 9th centuries that Irish monks went out two by two throughout Scotland, England and Europe evangelizing, healing and ministering to the poor.

Columba maintained a simple life of prayer, silence, work and study that impacted the lives of thousands in his own time and continues to inspire the thousands of pilgrims who visit the island every year. It is said that as Columba grew older his face reflected the joy of the Holy Spirit and that even when he was not present his spirit offered healing and comfort to his fellow monks.

The world has changed a lot since Columba founded the Iona monastery. But in many ways we still struggle with the same issues he did. For Columba it was not enough to have a vision from God about his life's purpose . It was only when that vision became the focus for all he did that Columba had the impact God intended

Contemplating the life of Columba I realize , not surprisingly, that it bears a lot of similarity to Jesus' life Jesus carried the weight of the world on his shoulders . Surprisingly, he never seemed stressed out or overloaded . If Jesus truly offers abundant life, then the patrerns of his life provide the best model for what mine should look like too .

C

lear purpose

Jesus had a very clear sense of purpose He came announcing the kingdom of God and all of his actions demonstrated what God's kingdom was meant to look like Because Jesus had such a clear sense of call he knew exactly how to apportion his time and resources.

Our lives need to be as focused as Jesus' was. One way to accomplish this is by developing a biblically shaped miss ion statement.

My husband and I have a mission statement that comes from Proverbs 31:8-9 . Our statement is: "To be a voice for those who have no voice and bring glimpses of God's shalom kingdom into people 's lives ." We have used this biblical call to set goals for our prayer life, our vocation, and even for our hospitality and leisure time. As a result we spend more time praying and in hospitality than we once did, but we are learning to say no to jobs we are asked to do that we do not feel reflect our sense of call.

We developed this statement by studying Scripture and asking two questions What does God want to accomplish in the world? What is my part of that? As I study the life of Jesus , another question is helpful. What were Jesus' priorities? How did he apportion time and resources?

As a result of Jesus' clear sense of call, his spiritual life took priority over everything else. It flowed out of an intimate, personal relationship to God and provided the focus for all else. Jesus stopped periodically throughout the day to listen to God and to direct his actions according to God's instructions He never made major decisions without spending at least a night listening through prayer

How much less stress would we suffer if we gave prayer this kind of priority and allowed our times with God to shape all other commitments? Prayer breaks throughout the day reconnect us to God and renew our spiritual energy. Listening to God combined with regular prayer retreats as part of our decision making process bring us closer to God and to God's purposes for us .

Embracing community

Jesus' second priority was community. He spent more time developing a family of followers than he did preaching or healing To become a Christian means to enter into community, first with God but also with God's people-with sisters and brothers from every tribe , nation and culture. It also means to be drawn into community with the poor, the disabled, the abandoned and the marginalized.

Jesus and his followers didn't just work together. They enjoyed good food, fellowship and celebration. According to English theologian N:r. Wright, wherever Jesus went there was a party. Making time for friends

Discipleship

and family, encouraging co-workers and fellow believers, getting involved in ministry amongst the poor, celebrating faith with lots of fun and fellowship should all be part of our life priorities

When Susan, a young mother with two kids, recognized community as an important Christian priority she reorganized her week to spend more time with other young moms and their kids. She and four friends started meeting daily in each other's homes. One mom does childcare while the others clean and dust Afterwards they pray together, read the Scriptures or just talk and laugh over a piece of

of us Sunday has become a day like any other day or Sabbath observances are no more than a set of legalistic rules.

For the Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel the Sabbath is a miracle. For him, "The essence of the world to come is Sabbath eternal." Every seventh day God's people were meant to glimpse the joy, tranquility, peace and abundance of life in eternity.

What a revolutionary concept. Celebrating the

If Jesus truly offers abundant life, then the patterns of his life provide the best model for what mine should look like too.

cake and a cup of coffee. One morning a week they meet in the house of a disabled friend who is unable to do her own housework.

Working for God

The third priority that paces Jesus' life is work. Not work for the daily provision of food- he encouraged his followers to trust God for that. Nor did Jesus care about accumulating wealth for himself In fact he had some rather scathing things to say about those who concentrated on this.

Jesus' work focused on service to God and God's kingdom purposes. As God's representatives our work too should reflect these priorities. We are meant to bring hope, healing and salvation, helping those around us look forward to a world in which there will be no more crying, hunger or pain

One family we know felt God's call "to be the hospitality of God to their community." They freed up two evenings a week to focus on their neighborhood. One evening they met together as a family and prayed for those around them. They took turns selecting a household that they wanted to ask over for dinner. On the second evening they had a time of prayer before the family came over and then had a fun time of fellowship with them They excitedly told me that not only was it starting to make a difference in their neighborhood but that their family was changing and strengthened as they focused more intentionally on God's purposes.

Learning to rest

It was a great relief when I realized Jesus also recognized rest as an essential part of life. "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest," he told his followers (Matt. 11:28). A good night's rest seems to boost our immune system and recent research suggests an afternoon siesta increases productivity so much that we actually accomplish more than when we work all day Th e Sabbath is unique among life's rhythms and is probably the most healthy observance we can adhere to. Unfortunately for many

glimpses we have caught of God's new world and resting in the satisfaction of what we have accomplished over the last week that bares the fingerprints of God should be the culmination and goal of our week

Sabbath rest should celebrate the joy of our restored fellowship with God. It celebrates our inclusion in that great international community that is Christ's body. In the process, we can rejoice in the ways God has used our gifrs and talents in the last week to heal the sick, feed the hungry, preach good news to the poor and bring glimpses of God's eternal world into the lives of others. We celebrate the glorious created world that God has provided for us.

Imagine how our priorities would change if we had this perspective. No wonder Jesus healed on the Sabbath and criticized the restrictions the Pharisees inflicted on the people that robbed them of their joy and freedom. He wasn't downplaying the importance of Sabbath as a holy day Jesus was bringing the Jews back to God's perspective. In the process he gave them breathtaking glimpses of the eternal world in which all will one day be made whole.

To become a follower of Jesus is an invitation to a life with a different focus. Examine what sets the direction of your life and how you prioritize your time. Discover God's purposes for yourself and learn the joy and satisfaction of a life call that is reflected in all we do and say. Invite God to open a doorway to a more festive, less stressed way of life that is fulfilling and not exhausting.

Physician Christine Sine and her husband Tom serve with Mustard Seed Associates, an organization committed to "creating a network of the followers of Jesus who are searching for a different path to celebrate faith and make a difference in the world."

Your Mennonite Brethren

Mennonites send aid to Gulf Coast MCC ships aid. MDS reviews project options

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Mennonites are assessing damage and working together to provide relief to those affected by the disaster.

The Category 4 hurricane hit the Gulf Coast states Aug. 29.

Kevin King. executive coordinator of Mennonite Disaster Service, completed an initial flyover of disaster areas Sept. I. including Pascagoula. Miss .• Biloxi. Miss .• Hatriesburg. Miss .• and Gulfport Miss. "It's everything you see on TV and more." he said

Because of continued power outages. fuel shortages. flooding and other storm damage, weighing what MDS can do in the region has been slow going, say MDS officials The agency reported Sept. 22 that it is weeks away from calling for volunteers.

Mennonite Central Committee announced Sept. 22 that it will commit nearly $I.7 million as an initial response to Katrina

No Mennonite Brethren churche s are located in the hard -hit areas .

View toward the Gulf from debris - strewn downtown Biloxi, Miss.

Mennonite Church USA reports that all but two of the churches in their Gulf States Conference were affected in some way by the hurricane. The impact of the storm varied from power outages to wind damage to one church near New Orleans that has "disappeared into the Gulf." In several situations. congregations are now scattered as members evacuated to Texas. Florida. Tennessee and north Alabama. No loss of life has been reported in the area conference that has 14 congregations in Louisiana. Mississippi. Alabama and Arkansas.

MCC and MDS are partnering to respond to Katrina. MDS and MCC are sister organizations representing the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Canada and the U.S. in disaster response MDS conducts domestic disaster relief in North America while MCC focuses on international di saster response . Because of the enormity and diverse response needed for Hurricane Katrina. MDS has requ ested

that MCC assist in making material resources and emergency supplies available

MDS established three bases of operation one week after Katrina hitin Mobile, Ala., Meridian , Miss , and Gulfport, Miss. MDS has organized initial clean-up work with chainsaw crews from neighboring states. An investigative team is exploring Bayou La Batre, Ala ., and areas surrounding New Orlean s

The majority of MCC's funds, nearly $1.2 million, will go to churches in and around the hurricane affected areas that are taking the lead in responding to the disaster. The agency is also accepting material resource donations to replenish emergen cy supplies sh ipped to the hurricane-damaged area.

The MCC response includes more than $500,000 in material that was delivered to the region in September at the request of MDS and local churches The first week in September MCC shipped four tru ckloads of material aid to Bayou La Batre, a Gulf Coast fishing community of about 20,000. A shipment also went to San Antonia, Texas, for distribution among evacuees.

Through local churches, MCC will be supporting a variety of initiatives including hiring local community workers who will assist evacuees in finding housing and support. Others will be hired to assist in hurricanedamaged communities where the people remained but need help with government forms and finding support.

MCC will offer resources for pastors of churches damaged or destroyed during the hurricane to meet the needs of their congregational members, many of who are now evacuees.

At press time, neither MCC nor MDS were involved in the placement or hosting of hurricane evacuees. Churches in the hurricane zone have suggested individuals help evacuees already moving into their area. MCC and MDS are listening to the churches in the damaged areas for the next steps.

Both MDS and MCC are accepting financial donations for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. At press time , MDS contributions in the U.S. totaled more than $1.2 million . MCC is also accepting material resource donations to replenish emergency supplies already shipped to the hurricane-damaged area

MDS emphasizes that projects in the Gulf region are still being devel-

oped and new Katrina projects cannot yet accept volunteers. At the same time, volunteers are urgently needed for established projects in Florida and California.

Meanwhile, Mennonite Mutual Aid, a Mennonite and Brethren in Christ financial services organization, is offering matching grants to churches that are donating money in response to this disaster. For every three dollars raised by a qualifying congregation, MMA will give one dollar, up to $500 per church, enabling congregations to increase their assistance. A total of $50,000 has been set aside for this project to be accessed by the end of 2005

Mennonites from around the world have responded through Mennonite World Conference with a letter of condolence to their American family of faith. The letter, dated Sept. 14, was addressed to MDS, MCC and leaders and members of MWC -related U .S. churches. - by Myra Holmes from reports by MCC, MDS, Mennonite Church USA, MMA

Editor's Note: Thi s iss ue of th e Leader we nt to press two days after Hurri cane Rita stru ck the Gulf Coas t. At that tim e no updates we re available from MD S or MCC about th eir respon se to thi s second storm to hit th e G ulf in less than a month

MB schools respond to Katrina Colleges offer open doors , prayer,

aid

Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University are responding to Hurricane Katrina with prayer, financial help and open doors .

FPU, the Mennonite Brethren university located in Fresno, Calif., is opening its doors to students displaced by Katrina, while Tabor, the MB liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kan., is pursuing a variety of responses

Eleven college and university students displaced by Katrina are attending classes at FPU as of Sept. 14 . FPU is waiving tuition and housing costs for students enrolled in a college affected by Hurricane Katrina and raising funds to help with other needs. Because of limited space, priority is given to students from California. Pioneer Catering, the university's food service provider, is donating meal plans and Founders Bookstores, a division of College Bookstores of America, is providing text books at no cost

Kimberly Sanders, a former student at Xavier University in Louisiana and resident of Fresno, was one of the first two stu -

dents enrolled. She began classes September 7 amid a fanfare by local news media while N'Kenge Marcelin, of Slidell, La., near New Orleans, who had been at Delgado Community College, started classes the next day.

Fa culty and staff are gathering donations through a community care fund and the student government, which is matching total donations up to $1,500 Any contributions not used by displaced students at FPU will go to help other students affected by the hurricane "Every dollar will go to help a student," President D. Merrell Ewert says.

"People ask why we're getring involved - that's easy, it's who we are, " Ewert says. 'The extraordinary destruction of Hurricane Katrina has disrupted the lives and plans of many students and shut down whole universities. This created great needs. Our mission is to respond to human need."

The program will be offered throughout the 2005-2006 school year, so students can also apply for admission in the spring.

Tabor College administrators met in early September to discuss ways in which the college community can assist in the hurricane relief efforts. In a memo to employees and students, President Larry Nikkel outlined the school's initial response plan. Prayer is a first priority. 'We would ask that the campus community dedicate itself to pray for the victims of the hurricane and for those whose task it is to confront the devastation left in its path," Nikkel says.

Nikkel also urged the Tabor community to find opportunities to serve locally. Representatives from Golden Heritage Foods of Hillsboro were invited to campus to inform the campus of opportunities to assist in a community relief effort to collect and transport goods to the affected areas. The week of Aug. 28, Tabor College Wichita served as a collection site for bottled water in partnership with Clear Channel Communications and the American Red Cross.

The college is also considering various fund-raising suggestions. For example, freewill offerings may occur at athletic and other campus events

Students have expressed interest in service rrips to the affected area and Nikkel says the institution will support such trips. He encouraged students to plan and coordinate trips with an agency specializing in disaster relief. Service rrips could occur during fall break, Christmas break, interterm, spring break or next summer.

Finally, Tabor may also extend an invitation to displaced college students. Up to 24 beds could be filled with students if necessary, but Nikkel said the college will communicate with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities to determine the actual need.- Tabor Co/lege/FPU

Kansas business facilitates aid

Organizers say community relief project was God-driven

Wen employees at Golden Heritage Foods , a Hillsboro, Kan. , business specializing in honey and food products , decided to respond to the enormous needs in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina their plans were modest.

GHF President Brent Barkman, a member of Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro, and the 1I0 GHF employees originally planned to send one semitruck load of emergency supplies to Baton Rouge, La., and to invite the community to contribute to a second load of nonperishable supplies to be sent about 10 days later. Many Gulf Coast evacuees had come to Baton Rouge for shelter, doubling the population .

"One of our goals at Golden Heritage Foods is to be a servant to the community and to provide servant leadership to the community, " Barkman told the Hillsboro Free Press in early September 'We want

Top: New FPU students w ho evac uated from the Gulf Coast talk t ogether while looking thru donated supplies. Bottom: Brent and Ly nette Bar kma n , cente r , are jo i ned by Past or

Steve Schroeder, Pa rkview MB Chu r ch, for a prayer as trucks from t heir com pany head t o t he Gulf

to make sure that what comes out of this is that it's a community effort. Golden Heritage Foods is just a facilitator for an act of kindness from the community."

Not wanting to limit the generosity of the community, Barkman offered to collect and ship "however many truckloads (of materials) come in." As of Sept 20, GHF had shipped a total of eight trucks - not two-to Baton Rouge. The contents of four of those trucks were paid for by cash donations of nearly $60,000. The other four trucks were loaded with donated supplies GHF and other local businesses covered transportation expenses.

GHF's relief effort was "God-driven," says Judy Hiebert, employee relations coordinator.

The sense that God was at work first occurred to Hiebert and Barkman when they found out that each of them had concluded on their own that something needed to be done to help the hurricane victims and that Golden Heritage could be the local facilitator.

'We just felt like this was God talking to us in a particular way, giving us both the same idea at the same time," says Barkman "I really didn't feel like we had any choice in the matter."

News reports indicated that water, diapers and toilet paper were high priority needs and so GHF concentrated on those items for its first delivery. Finding a source to supply a truckload of necessities was a challenge. Eventually GHF hooked up with the area Alco/Duckwalls discount distribution center.

The positive response of GHF employees, community members and businesses to the challenge of filling a semitruck prompted Barkman to purchase a second and then a third load of emergency supplies. Approximately 100 people and an area TV crew gathered at the GHF plant Sept. I as Parkview MB Church pastors prayed asking God's blessing on the drivers and offering thanksgiving for the generosity of the community.

Key to the viability of the project was finding a reliable distributor for the goods in Baton Rouge.

"It was another one of those things that had nothing but Divine leading in it, because we went on the Internet and looked up churches in Baton Rouge," Barkman says . "We

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picked a big one that had a Web site ."

They had found Comite Baptist Church

As it turns out, the night before the congregation had decided to use their facility as a supply distribution center. Their only problem was getting the needed supplies Their prayers were answered when Hiebert called the church office the next morning. In a letter to GHF, Pastor Dale Phillips and his congregation expressed their thanks for "everything that you have done. Thank you for listening to God's voice."

When the convoy of three trucks arrived in Baton Rouge around noon Sept. 3, the city had electrical power and some telephone communications. Two of the trucks were unloaded at the River Center, one of two primary distribution centers in Baton Rouge, while the third went to nearby small communities that had been hit harder by the storm.

"It was really interesting to see how God was working in the whole thing and putting us in the right position with the right people," Barkman says.

At the River Center, some 7,000 refugees were being cared for with hot meals and decent sleeping accommodations . Even so, Barkman says, seeing so many people with such significant needs was powerful.

"It was really pretty humbling," he says . "You see it on TV, but it's just not the same as when you get into that same room with them."

Aside from the material losses, many people were also dealing with relational losses.

'They had a microphone and loudspeaker set up there and were interviewing people, trying even to get families together. Families had just been broken apart as they were rescued and taken out."

While still in Baton Rouge, Barkman received a "grocery list" of needed supplies from the church staff and called it in to the office in Hillsboro. Hiebert spent Friday evening buying a semitruck load of goods-pallets of stews and soups, toilet paper, diapers, peanut butter, crackers, juices and toothpastes-that were trucked out the next day.

'Tve never shopped with a forklift before," she says.

The one part of the original response plan that remained more or less unchanged was the goal of sending more trucks to Baton Rouge Sept 15. GHF invited the community to donate goods from a list of appropriate nonperishable items

Employees spread the word among family and friends and donations were received from Kansas churches. businesses and individuals, including children, as well as several other states.

A dentist donated a box of toothbrushes One area school had a contest to see who could bring the most donated items while another collected donations at a Friday night football game. Boy Scouts collected door-to-door food donations One woman, whose mother died in Baton Rouge in late August, donated her mother's collection of stuffed animals for the children . A GHF employee's uncle works for Campbell Soup and GHF received a large donation of soup.

Comite Baptist staff told Hiebert that some of the supplies would go a Baton Rouge hospital in need of supplies, including those for newborns. Food and basic supplies are in short demand due to the sudden growth in population, the church staff told Hiebert.

While GHF is no longer collecting goods du e to a lack of storage space and plans to conclude their relief efforts , Hiebert says financial gifts have continued to come to the company. Any donations will be used to aid those affected by the hurricane. - by Conn ie Faber with reports from the Hillsboro Free Press

Blessing in disguise

Pastor Fox's faith strong In spite of ALS

It would be odd, if not crazy, to call an incurable disease a blessing. Crazy - or evidence that God is good even in the worst life offers.

James Fox has been a leader, both officially and unofficially, in the North Carolina District of MB Churches for decades. Those who know him describe him as a patriarch of faith and family . Fox's large family numbers 26, including two children, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren

In November 2004, Fox was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a degenerative disease that attacks the neurological system and results in progressive muscle weakness and hardening, according to the ALS Association Web site There is no known cure.

As is typical, the first symptoms of the disease for Fox were mild: slurred speech, arm pain and neck weakness. Now this tireless leader and teacher has lost both his mobility and his ability to speak.

But he has not lost his faith. And those around him have seen enough of God's goodness that Fox's daughter Dorene Bratton says, "It's a blessing. I know people are going to say, 'What do you mean it's a blessing?'"

Fox most recently served as district moderator and pastor of Beechbottom MB Church, Newland, N.C. He has held about every position of church leadership imaginable: deacon, treasurer, district Sunday school chair, pastor, assistant district moderator, district moderator, teacher. He served on the board of Mennonite Central Committee and the U.S . Conference's Board of Church Ministries.

Arguably his most influential position was director of North Carolina MB Bible Camp, which operated from the late 60S until the early 90S. Fox encouraged Scripture memorization and was instrumental in many commitments to Christ. District moderator Terry Hunt says, "He was a father to all the young boys and girls."

Fox received no salary for his work in the church. He worked at a local bank for 35 years, starting as a janitor and advancing to vice-president before his retirement.

Fox's wife, Louise, has always been an able partner in ministry. "They're a super couple, a super team ," Hunt says

In a strange twist, the very things that characterized Fox's ministry are the things ALS has taken away. Yet God seems to be using this trial to bless Fox's church and family.

Fox is by all accounts a teacher with a passion for the

Word of God, a man whose words were worth hearing. Bratton says, "If he had something to say, you might as well listen."

Mike Mathes, who has assumed preaching duties at Beechbottom, says Fox was instrumental in the development of his own faith and gifts. "He's got this special way that he talks to you about the Lord," Mathes says. "He doesn't pressure you, but he tells you what God's will is for you."

Although ALS has taken Fox's speech, Fox continues to encourage and teach. Since ALS usually doesn't affect the mind, Fox's is sharp, and he communicates in a limited way through writing.

Visitors often leave with more encouragement than they offered Fox's niece, Chante Stucky, was amazed to catch him praying silently for her as she visited Fox in intensive care. Mathes recalls a visit when Fox wrote Isaiah 41:10 for two concerned visitors. "Here we are two young healthy men standing there and here's a man of God laying on the bed that can't even speak, and he's telling us to be strong in the Lord," Mathes says.

Hunt says, ''That's the way God is using this sickness in (Fox's) life-to demonstrate his love, show his love to everybody who comes to visit."

Fox is still the voice of wisdom for many in the church and in his family. Hunt regularly seeks his wisdom on church and district matters. Family members continue to ask his advice on details as mundane as car repairs or home improvements.

Fox had a strength many leaned on. Hunt uses the word "tireless" to describe Fox's concern for and work on behalf of the churches of North Carolina. Bratton says more plainly, ''You couldn't get him to sit still." His work for the church was sometimes hands -on, with hammer and nails, building what needed to be built or fixing what needed to be fixed. Hunt says that to see such a vibrant man bedridden is "heartbreaking."

As Fox's strength has been stilled by ALS, the church has found new strength. Mathes says that church members who were once content to sit on the sidelines have come together. He uses that odd word, " blessing."

"Not that he's sick," Mathes says, "but that we were able to walk the things he taught us, that we were able to step up to the plate "

Church members have provided necessities such as sterile water, paper towels and labor for lawn care and home maintenance . The church has also helped with financial needs. Fox had no insurance for long-term nursing care and health insurance paid for only limited at-home nursing hours. Although Hunt describes Fox's wife, Louise, as a devoted caretaker, Fox needs both a ventilator and a feeding tube, so trained nursing is vital to his proper care.

The North Carolina churches used monies from a memorial fund to pay for additional nursing hours. Although the funds are limited, Hunt says they hope to replenish them through designated offerings or fund-raisers. "We feel that out of our love and appreciation to him we want to be there for him," he says.

The family, too , has found new strength since Fox's illness took hold. Extended family members have become reacquainted as trivial conversation has taken a back seat to spiritual intimacy. ' We have grown closer as a family and our faith has been strengthened," granddaughter Terra Gilmore says. Fox's sister, Susan Fox, received training so that she could provide daily physical therapy Fox's granddaughter Auriel has moved in to help with his care.

Most of all , those who know Fox best talk about his faith-a deep-seated, unshakable faith in and love for God. That is something ALS cannot take away. "My faith in God has only grown stronger," writes Fox in reply to a question posed by the Leader.

Of course Fox has bad days when it's hard to see the blessing through the tria\, hard to see God's goodness . Even so Fox writes, "God's love is unchanging and he is always in control if we allow him to be ."

Fox believes that healing is inevitable for believers, whether on earth or in heaven. Hunt says, "James has not backed up on the fact that one day he's going to be healed, whether it's miraculously through God intervening here on earth or when he leaves this life and goes home."

As others observe Fox's faith through his tria\, their faith has been strengthened as well. Gilmore, for example, admits to wrestling with her grandfather's illness, but says, "My faith is stronger now. I know God is in control and we just have to trust in him."

Although no one would wish for ALS, Bratton says that countless "wonderful things" have resulted from Fox's illness - so many that she calls the Fox family "blessed and highly favored. "

"If you would meet our family, at first you would say we were crazy, " she says. ''Then you would say it's nothing but God." - by Myra Holmes

The Red Sea parts in Clovis

Church testifies to modern miracle of God's care

Anywhere you tum in the Bible, you can find stories of the faithful. Stories that display the power of trusting God's promise to love and care for the faithful.

Can we find these stories in our modem world?

''Yes!'' say the people of Mountain View Community Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Clovis, Calif , and they cite their new facility as a contemporary miracle

Mountain View was planted in 1993 by the Pacific District Conference church planting board. Fred Leonard and his wife Esther, missionaries to South America who were returning to the U.S. to complete seminary, were the church planters. They began with a core group of seven other adults.

At MVCC's opening service May I, 1994, there were 326 people in attendance. While initial attendance settled to approximately 150 people, the congregation has experienced growth ever since. This fall Mountain View expects an attendance of 700 people.

"Most of our growth comes from un churched people coming and meeting Jesus," says Leonard.

Leonard says the growth is due in large part to people being invited by friends and family who have become C hristians in the church

"I think peopl e are coming because they're encountering Jesus and experiencing life -change," he says "People's lives are restored and they're experiencing the full go spel of what Jesus has for them That's

then contagious to other people they know."

Due in part to their continued growth, MVCC began to look for a new home Since its birth, MVCC had been meeting at Clovis High School.

Initially Mountain View purchased a 20-acre piece of property near Clovis. A master plan with three phases of construction was developed and submitted to Fresno County. Six months later the Planning Commission approved the plans

However, instead of excited neighbors MVCC found itself the focus of an "aggressive campaign against our church ," says executive minister Dave Thiessen . 'The supervisors came to the conclusion that our project was too urban in nature for the surrounding rural community, even though the city of Clovis is right across the street," says Thiessen. 'They rejected our application unanimously.

"Ironically, the rejection by the county made the front page of the 'Local and State' section of the Fresno Bee and our attendance jumped overnight by almost 100 people."

Not giving up on constructing a church building, MVCC located another 17 acres of land directly across the street from the original 20. This acreage was located in the city of Clovis "sphere of influence, " says Leonard

'We knew we would be approved because we were now in the sphere of influence, " he says.

Once again, studies were conducted, and plans were drawn and submitted.

Then in January 2005, MVCC was approached by another church, The Rock, asking if Mountain View would like to lease their building . The Rock had suffered a membership decline and could no longer sustain the facility .

According to Leonard, leasing wasn't a good option for the church so MVCC offered to purchase the property.

"(The Rock congregation) took two weeks to pray and fast and ask the Lord," says Leonard. ' They came back and said , 'We feel like the Lord wants us to sell to you.'

'They (The Rock) gave us the price of $3 million, which is basically the price of th e property, and then we got the 50,000 square feet of building basically for free, " says Leonard.

The Rock continues to hold Sunday evening services at the facility and has rent free office space for five years.

Leonard and his staff compare their modem day miracle to that of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea.

"(The Israelites) come to Moses and they're fearful and cry to the Lord," Leonard explains. "They've got the Egyptians on one side and the Red Sea on the other. Moses says, 'Let's just stand back and watch God move - the Egyptians you see today, youll never see again.'

"We've really claimed that," he says. 'We're going to stand back and allow God to move. We didn't know what that meant for us, but we knew God knew that we wanted him to part the sea for us. We didn't want to build little rafts and try to paddle ourselves across by going on our own. We were committed to praying and waiting and allowing God to do a miracle for us."

And, according to Leonard , God did exactly that.

The Rock not only sold the property and building, worth approximately $13 million, to MVCC for $3 million, but they also left tables, chairs and even sound equipment.

'They gave us the keys It was done," says Leonard "We walked into a fully fun ctioning, fully stocked church. That's a miracle God did for us ."

Additionally, Mountain View has netted approximately $2 million from the sale of the 17 acres originally purchased for $775,000

"In the course of a day, I see many smiles!"

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· body LIFE

"That's the parting of the Red Sea," Leonard says "We prayed and we prayed faithfully for years that God would provide for us. Even when we got turned down, we weren't discouraged . We were disappointed, but not discouraged, because we knew God had a plan for u s and we just wan ted to wait and see what God was going to do ."

Even with the answered prayer and miracle Leonard is quick to point out that the work isn't completed

" We're in the Promised Land , so to speak, but there's still a lot of territory to take over, " he says . "There are still giants to be conq uered and cities to be taken and God still needs to con tinue to do miracles for us ."

Even if MVCC doesn't know all the future holds for them, they are continuing to evangelize and disciple - two primary aspects of the " business" of the church.

" We are passionate about people giving their hearts to God and growing in their walk and relationship with him," says Leonard.

With the new bu il ding, Mountain View has been free to expand not only in membership but also in outreach programs such

as youth programs, mid -week Bible studies, ALPHA, Celebrate Recovery and vacation Bible school.

MVCC is also committed to supporting 30 church plants in Kenya in addition to the 51 churches they have already helped plant in nine countries includ in g the U. S , C anada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Western Samoa, Portugal, Lithuania and Kenya. They have partnered with such organizations as International Christian Ministries, and Mennonite Brethren ministries including Mission USA.

MVCC has assisted these church plants in a variety of ways, from sending church-pla nt teams to purchasing church buildings to supporting pastors in Kenya with small herds of cattle, sheep and goats.

'The reality is that we have no strategic plan ," says Leonard. 'We are excited about church planting and ready to plant a church anytime that an opportunity presents itself.

"We want our own miracles , our own stories of faith. We have now seen those, and we know God is not yet done We are continuing to pray for more miracles. More stories of faith " - by Malinda Just, newswriter

Paraguay tour offers firsthand education

President Nicanor Duarte Frutos and a member of an MB church, allowed the group to hear her testimony and learn about her social work and engagement in evangelism.

"[The President and his wife] attend the MB church we attended one Sunday morning. After church we discovered the microphone technician is a cabinet minister," Jost says "One of the leading Paraguayan churchmen, my friend since semi -

nary days, set up a meeting

TC alumni hear from president's wife and other officials

With interest piqued by news reports of the vitality and significance of Mennonite institutions in Paraguay, Tabor College professor Lynn Jost led a group of 14 Tabor alumni and friends on a two -week excursion to the central South American country for a firsthand look at the work being completed. Jost is professor of biblical and religiou s studies at the Mennonite Brethren college located in Hillsboro , Kan

The group visited hospital s, radio and television stations, businesses and educational in st it ution s in th e capital city of Asuncion, as well as Mennonite colonies in th e C ha co region and one of the world's largest waterfall s, Iguazu Fall s.

An impromptu hour-lon g visit with Maria Penayo de Duarte, wife of

with the president's wife."

The group also met with Carlos Wien s, a former medical missionary who has been asked by the president to help stamp out corruption. He talked about government attempts to abolish corruption

Currently, 21 percent of all Paraguayan salaries are paid into a social insurance fund. "[Wiens] told us about the various sindicatos, similar to trade unions, that had borrowed half a billion dollars from the fund and it had simply disappeared, " Jost says. "He told us of the violent means that the sind ic atos had used to threaten patients'

A highli g ht of t he Tabor t our gr oup 's visit with f irst l ady Mar ia Penaya de Du art e was holding her new baby

lives in order to force the government to end its anticorruption campaign so they could get at the money." When one of Wiens' allies in the system discovered the source of more corruption, he was murdered.

The group laid hands on Wiens as their meeting ended. Jost says. '"asking for God's protection of his family and God' s blessing on this campaign for social and moral justice ."

Amidst the corruption. the group found Mennonites attempting social change-a feat not to be taken lightly by the 30,000 Mennonites now inhabiting Paraguay. '" We asked the Mennonites why they were doing what they were doing," Jost says. "and they said. 'We learned a lesson in Russia where we also lived in colonies. There we didn't give enough attention to lifting the people around us . Now we're trying not just to enjoy the economic success that we've had, but we're trying to spread that to those around us.'"

Jost adds. "That concern for their larger society reflected in evangelism, government involvement and social work, I think, speaks pretty sttongly to us."

Mennonites seeking religious freedom came to Paraguay in three waves: 1927, 1930 and 1947. Most immigrants ttaveled from Germany, Canada and Russia and established colonies in an area thought to be unproductive due to lack of water.

"They all settled in colonies in Chaco, then slowly came back toward Asuncion, and then they started evangelizing there and also settling there." Jost says.

Now a large milk production facility, cattle and experimental farms are found in the colonies.

Accompanying Jost and his wife Donna were Ken and Ann Bartel. Topeka. Kan.; Andy and Lillian Harms. Moundridge, Kan .; Joyce Hofer and Don Isaac, Hillsboro; Dwight and Sharon Klaassen. Platteville . Wis .; Perry and Jeanie Klaassen, Edmond, Okla.; Helen Loewen. Minneapolis, Minn.; and C urtis and Myra Stutzman. Denver. Colo. - TC Publi c Relations

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China thawing

Signs of God at work in China

When Communists took over China some 55 years ago Christians were inclined to write China off. Communist ideology intended to drown out Christianity The many prayers, including those of us in the China prayer band at Bethany Bible School in Hepburn, Sask., on behalf of the Christian wimess in that country seemed to have gone unheard

Today, while China is still communist, the old ideology is increasingly being punctured. At least so it seemed to us on our two-week visit there in March. Quite apart from the so-called underground churches , there is a thawing toward religion. A recent article in The &onomist describes the Chinese business persons and other elites as gravitating toward religion.

We visited a Christian professor in Chengdu who heads a Christian Research Center at Sichuan University's department of religion that includes teachers of Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. Out of that research center has come a journal with articles on Christianity. I was also given a book published in 2004 in Chinese called The Protestant Missionary Publications in Modern China 1912-1949: A Study of Their Programs, Operations and Trends.

While strolling through a university in Chongqing, I stopped at a bookstore. My eye caught sight of a Chinese Bible for sale. It was explained to us that the government is not against religion, but is negative on too-active religious practice There is religious freedom, one professor observed, but the government frowns on activity.

Still on Easter Sunday we were among the 800 to 1,000 people that atrended the service in a large non -denominational church in Chongqing that is part of the Three Self Patriotic Movement. Two choirs, one from a motorcycle factory, sang. The 45-minute sermon

stressed that Christ is the sovereign Lord, the capable Savior and the transforming Master. In an interview with the preacher, Rev. Xu Lunshen, he said there are 100 churches in this city of 30 million.

We visited the national seminary in Nanjing. Vice President Chen Zemin explained that there are 18 Christian seminaries in China, that the enrollment in the national seminary was 190, and that groundbreaking had just been held at a new 30-acre site which would eventually accommodate 500 students My 90minute meeting with Professor Xinnong Li and his Old

Testament class was marked by a host of intelligent questions on Daniel, the Pentateuch, etc. One of the students shared that he came from Henan province where he had been an accountant. He was converted to Christ at the close of the Spring Festival, and in 1997 God called him into ministry

Christians should not write off China with its 1.4 billion people, five times the number of people in the U S. It is sad that for Mennonite Brethren and many evangelicals China is off the radar screen. Answers to prayer frequently come in ways quite other than the anticipated Put China on your prayer list.

Do more Many MB churches in Canada and the U S are in metropolitan centers with universities and colleges where Chinese students are likely to be a considerable proportion of the student population. Do the college ministries in our churches reach out to internationals, including the Chinese?

Bethany MB Church in Fresno, Calif , is one church that does so thanks in large part to a diligent and concerned couple, Chester and Lois (recently deceased) Covers These folks have modeled hospitality and galvanized the church in an outreach so that now there is a Chinese ministry with worship, Bible study and outreach Dr. Peng Wen, a professor at Fresno Pacific University, is on Bethany's staff as pastor of this group of 30 to 40

Why did we visit China? It was not chiefly to visit the tourist sites, but to visit several Chinese friends . For three years we had a Chinese student living with us . Dahong attended California State University at Fresno and also regularly attended our church. One day after a series of Bible studies in which he and I shared, he "came under the God," as he describes his conversion experience. He is now in China employed in a stock brokerage firm .

As a large serendipity to our hospitality more than seven years ago, we were escorted virtually from landing in Beijing to take-off two weeks later in Shanghai by Dahong's wife. Moreover, the couple insisted on ticketing us on a luxury two-day cruise down the Yangtze River to see the Three Gorges and the world's largest dam. Our visit brought us much joy, primarily because my Chinese brother is continuing in the faith .

So how might God be answering the prayers of his people for China? Whether or not we will be a part of the action, someone somewhere will be, for God is at work in China

Elmer A Martens is president emeritus and professor emeritus of Old Testament at MB Biblical Seminary He is a member of North Fresno (Calif) MB Church.

by Ros e Buschman

Fine dining in Mexico

Plans for an authentic meal diverted by God

w.en we go on minisrry trips we have certain expectations of what we will do, whom we will serve and what the outcomes are supposed to be. Isaiah says that the Lord declares, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isa. 55 :8 NIV). On a recent mission trip I found out just what that means.

It was almost the end of our minisrry trip to the Mexican border city of Reynosa this past August. Several more hours of activities and our team's mission would be completed. Earl ier our group had decided that our final activity in Mexico wouldbe to eat an authentic Mexican meal at one of the "better" restaurants in the city. We were all looking forward to this treat. That was our plan, not God's plan. He had something much more significant in mind for us.

As we were finishing up our minisrry activities, one of the men in the colonia came and announced that he wanted all of us to come over to his home in 45 minutes.

"I have cooked a soup for you and you must come to my house," he said Our team decided that we could not tum him down and so we went.

Juan's home can best be described as a shantytown shack. I'm guessing, but it's probably not more than eight feet by ten feet in size Its walls are a patchwork of slats from wooden pallets, scrap lumber, pieces of plywood and anything else he could find. Cooking, washing dishes and doing the laundry are all activities that occur outside under a lean -to roof fastened to the back of his home. The makeshift dining table, which is a large overturned plastic trash barrel with a piece of plywood on top covered by a large towel , sits outside the front door . Inside the shack there is room for a double-sized bed in one comer and a chest of drawers and storage containers along another wall A small TV provides what entertai n-

ment they have. Juan lives here wi th his wife and two young daughters I can't imagine wh at it must be like to have four people in those cramped quarters when the weather is bad. Juan was really pleased, howeve r, to tell us that the roof didn't leak when Hurricane Emily dumped eight inches of rain on them. It was hot the afternoon of our visit and so we were seated outside on the hard packed dirt in their front yard Most of the chairs as well as a second table were borrowed from neighb ors. We were each served a bowl of delicious, spicy chicken vegetable soup, warm tortillas and cold Coke. This meal probably cost Juan all the available cas h he had for the entire week. It was very humbling to know that we were the recip ients of this family's "all we have." I thought of Jesus' account ofthe widow giving her two pennies, and I was deeply moved.

At the beginning of our minisrry in the colonia that week we set up a tienda or garage sale in the church with the many household and clothing items we had brought. Then we gave each family a number of coupons so they could come in and shop for what they needed Juan's wife had chosen a set of dishes and some spoons. Now they used these dishes to serve us the soup. Those dishes were another example of the difference between what we had in mind and what God wanted. One of our team members had brought them with the express purpose of giving them to a certain family in the colonia. Much to her disappointment this family had moved to another city, so we put the dishes into the tienda. Now we were being served soup with them.

After our meal we went back to the church, finished our activities and packed up our belongings to leave. No one in our group mentioned anything about going to the restaurant as we had earlier planned to do. Somehow it didn't matter anymore . We had dined at the Lord 's table in royal fashion and no longer needed the other

While we had many special experien ces on this minisrry ttip, for me this invitation to come over for soup ranks right at the top God gave us a very speci al blessing indeed . H is ways are better than ours.

Words we take for granted

Many hymns are filled with unfamiliar expressions

QWhile leaving a recent worship service someone said to me, "You're the answer man; what did we mean when we sang 'I dare not trust the sweetest frame?'" (California)

AWe had sung '''The Solid Rock" in which we promised not to trust "the sweetest frame." I had o admit I had sung that song perhaps a thousand times but I had never asked myself what the "sweetest frame" means. A small group discussed this phrase and I soon learned no one had a clear idea of what the author meant by "the sweetest frame " A few made stabs at the meaning but none sounded good to me.

So I researched the hymn Edward Mote wrote this hymn in the 1800s and he probably knew full well what "the sweetest frame" was. One writer suggests we could substitute words like moods, emotions and feelings for frame.

That makes sense to me. For too many years I was not a Christian because I was looking for the right feeling. The hymn tells us not to trust in feelings or anything else but "wholly lean on Jesus' name." That this was Mote's intention is substantiated by a verse he wrote but which is never or rarely printed in a hymnal: My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; Midst all the hell I feel within, On his completed work I lean.

I began to ask myself how many other hymns contain words we take for granted but don't know the meaning of. With the aid of a friend more musically skilled than I, we came up with a surprising list.

When we sing "When Morning Gilds the Skies" who of us understands "be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine? " Canticle? Or what kind of ball is meant when we sing 'l\ll Hail the Power of Jesus'

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at marvinhein@sbcglobal net or send your question to "Inquiring Minds , " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill A venue, Fresno, CA 93710

Name" and say, "Let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball " Terrestrial?

Obviously the Old English in which some hymns were written contains puzzling words. "How happy is our portion here" or "he saved me from my lost estate" or "there is no shadow of turning with thee" or "raise the song of harvest home" are expressions that may either be meaningless or misunderstood by 21st century worshipers.

With people who know all too little about the Bible, what is conjured up in the mind when they sing, "Beyond the sacred page, I seek thee, Lord"? Or what does a plastics-oriented society know about "pure and free from sin's alloy" ? And what must almost biblically illiterate singers think when they sing "veiled in flesh the Godhead see"?

Legitimate expressions that come directly from Scripture may puzzle modem day worshipers. One who leads contemporary worship services told me that he sometimes explains even biblical statements, like "here I raise mine Ebenezer."

We don't use metaphors all that often, so for a pragmatic culture what is meant when we sing "the hills leap up in gladness" or "the valleys laugh and sing?" Or what is meant when we sing "and take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God"? Panoply? And how does a non-Christian respond when we sing a biblical idea: "there is a fountain filled with blood"? The idea is right and good and biblical, but what impressions may be lefr?

Where does all this leave us? I suggest we not dump the past too quickly. Take the best of the past. Nor should we toss out all the present music. All need to be tested over time

Brian Doerksen, renowned writer of contemporary church music and a former Canadian Mennonite Brethren from British Columbia, is an example of a praise songwriter whose choruses, composed primarily for the Vineyard movement, often have deep theological concepts. Some of Doerken's music is even distinctly Anabaptist in orientation.

It is not a matter of traditional versus contemporary music. As a musician friend says, "We need to take the best of the past and the best of the present. " The traditional hymns have the benefit of the testing of time and some of them need to be explained . We need to allow time to test the newer music as well

BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP

Dinuba, Calif.-Richard Crawford and Sheila Caro were baptized and received as members Sept. 4 Darrin Ekk and Martha Hoff were received as members Sept. 4.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Conner Gavin and Jennifer Hatfield were baptized Aug. 21

Wichita, Kan. (Firstl - Megan Brown, Matt Ehresman, Kylie Flickinger, Stephanie Friesen, Katie Gerber, Angela Harder, Brian Hill, Stephanie Hill, Courtney Kersten, Cindy Large, Amanda Loewen, Thomas Lutz, Kelsey Mann, Kyle Mann, Zach Mastroly, Natalie Schroeder, Emily Soden, Laura Warwick, Scott Warwi ck, Brad Wiseman and Alex Wittich were baptized Aug. 21. Jim and Patti Friesen were received as members Aug 28

Sioux Falls, SD (Lincoln Hillsl-Kyle Plank and Sarah Wuertz were baptized Aug. 21.

Freeman, SD (Salemi-Heather Wollman, Jennifer Wollman, Carol Minor, Drew Letcher, Dustin Letcher, Geoffrey Pollman and Gregory Pullman were baptized July 17 and received as members Aug 14

Yale, SD (Bethell - Katie Hohm was baptized July 31 and received as a member Aug 7. Ernie and Connie Lambright were received as members Aug. 7

FELLOWSHIP

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl - Women 's Ministry organized a County Fair Sept. 16 The event included fair-style food, raffles, pie bake-off , a comedy show and concert.

Reedley, Calif.- The church celebrated "RMBC Homecoming " Sept. 11 with refreshments on the church green and a combined worship service. Motorcycle enthusiasts were invited to join senior pastor Dennis Fast for a motorcycle ride and breakfast Sept. 1O.

Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-A picnic was held Sept. 5 to help church members become acquainted with foreign students.

San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glenl - Lincoln Glen Manor Retirement Center residents joined seniors from the church for a brunch and short program at the church Aug. 23 MINISTRY

Reedley, Calif. - Youth and adults from th e chu rch traveled to Ensenada, Mexi co Sept 15 - 18 to work on

the construction site for an emerging MB church High school youth are invited to gather for prayer and doughnuts before school once a week.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-A ministry to Iranians and Muslims meets Sunday afternoons at the church.

Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol - A group of volunteers from the church went to Mexico Sept. 2-5 to help with construction of Rancho El Faro Orphanage

Wichita, Kan. (Firstl- The church hosted a neighborhood block party Aug. 28th in the church parking lot.

Enid, Okla.-A children's carnival held in a local park Aug. 27 included games, food and music Preparation included canvassing the area with door hangers and a prayer walk in the area surrounding the park,

New Hope, Minn.- A weekend outreach event for youth and adults Aug. 12 - 14 included i268, a music and drama group from Tabor College, a unicyclist, a police - dog demonstration and food.

TEACHING/NURTURE

Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Communityl- Tim Geddert, professor of New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, was the guest speaker for an enrichment weekend Sept. 9- 11 that included a prayer vigil, men 's breakfast, meals and teaching

Wichita, Kan. (Firstl- "Families Rock" was introduced Sept. 11 The 3D -minute program uses music, drama and storytelling to help first through fifth grade children and their parents partner together for sp iritual growth

Littleton, Colo. (Belleviewl - The congregation kicked off "10 Weeks of Transformation" Sept 4. Participants will be reading assigned Scripture and journaling daily and meeting in small accountability groups weekly during the 10 weeks

WORKERS

Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-Kyle and Cathryn Goings began as youth pastor Aug 14. Among the ways the church welcomed them was a fast food gift certificate shower, to be used in relationship - building with youth

Yale, SD (Bethell - Ernie and Connie Lambright were installed as the pastoral couple Aug 7

Newton, Kan. (Koerner Heightsl - Frank Huebert III has resigned as youth pastor to take a position as

director of discipleship at John Brown University, Siloam Springs , Ark.

WORSHIP

Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Communityl-Attendees were encouraged to wear "work clothes· to Sunday school and worship Sept. 4.

San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glen, Iglesia Los HechoslThe two congregations joined for a combined service Aug 14. Bob Radtke presented the message and Pastor Edgard Barrante translated DEATHS

CLASSEN, JAKE, Enid, Okla , a member of Enid MB Church, was born Oct. 9, 1935, to Peter and Kathrine Classen in Meade, Kan., and died Aug 3, 2005, at the age of 69 On Aug 9, 1957, he married Marilyn Schneider, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Kerry and wife Jen of Lenexa, Kan , and Kelvin and wife Mary of Enid; one daughter, Kaylene and husband Dave Toelle of Enid, and six grandchildren.

EDIGER, PETE W., Reedley, Calif, a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Aug 4, 1914, to David D and Elizabeth Ediger near Henderson, Neb , and died Aug 31 , 2005, at the age of 91. On Feb. 14, 1937, he married Edna Rose Heinrichs, who predeceased him in 1974 On Nov 30, 1974, he married Esther Enns, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Leroy and wife Jeannie of Fresno, Calif ; one daugh· ter, Irene and husband Dick Bartel of Reedley; two brothers, Henry and wife Arlene of Henderson, Neb., and Abe of Jenison, Mich.; two sisters-in-law, Alene Ediger of Henderson, and Pauline Ediger of San Jose, Calif ; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

JUST, EMMA MARIE UNRUH, Reedley, Calif., a member of Reedley MB Church, was born June 21, 1910, to John and Sara Unruh in Reedley and died Aug. 9, 2005, at the age of 95 On Dec 19, 1931, she married Marvin Just, who predeceased her in 1985. She is survived by one son, Marvin Jr. and wife Tips; three daughters, Carolyn and husband lC, Moshier, Janice and husband Marlin Fridolfs and Connie and husband Roger McCahill; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

KLIEWER, ELIZABETH E., Henderson, Neb , a memberof Henderson MB Church. was born Nov. 7,1916, to Peter C and Elizabeth Epp in Reedley, Calif , and died Aug 14, 2005, at the age of 88. On Aug. 15, 1948, she married John G Kliewer, who predeceased her in 1976 She is survived by one son, James and wife

Susan ; one daughter, Kathryn and husband Howard Deeve r , and six gra ndch ildren

KNAAK, RICHARD SAM , Reed ley, Ca l if , a membe r of Ree dl ey MB Church, was born Ju ly 21, 1923, to Sa m and El ma Knaak in Reedley and died Aug II , 2005, at t he age of 82 On Jan. 17, 1944, he ma rri ed Ed na Jost, w ho predeceased him in 2004. He is survived by one son , Don; two daughters, Shirley and Lynette; t he spouses of his ch ildren, Nancy, Jim and Jay, seve n grandch il dre n an d two grea t- grandchildren

KOO P, BE NNIE, Hi ll sboro, Kan ., a member of Hillsboro MB Church , was born Feb 22, 1923, to Peter J and Anna Koop near Hillsboro and died Aug. 16, 2005, at the age of 82 On June 10, 195 1, he marr ied Irma Ratzla ff, who surv ives. He is also survived by two so ns, Kim and wife Kat hy of Hillsboro and Dale and wife Mona of Ab ilene , Kan ; one da ughter, Brend a and husband Leonard Coryea of Hil lsboro ; one brot her, Wallace and wife Bertha of Shafter Calif.; th ree sisters, Helen and husband Leande r Loewe n, Edna and husband Eli Su der man, all of Hi ll sboro, and Lorna Ge r bra nd t of Sacramento , Ca li f. ; two brothers-in- law, Arthur Schroeder of Buh l er , Kan , and Wal ly Isaak of Reedley, Calif., six grandchildren and three step-grandchildren

MAYS, ESTHER EDIGER, Enid, Okla., a member of Enid MB Church, was born Feb 13, 1921, to PeterC and Anna Nachtiga l Ediger in Collinsv ille, Okla., and died Aug 10, 2005 , at the age of 84. On Sept. 19, 1940, she married All en Mays, who survives. She is also survived by one son, Roy and wife Rosal ie of Enid; one daughter, Edna and husband Marvin Isaac of Colorado Spr in gs, Colo , four grandch ildren and the ir spouses, and three great - grandchildren.

PETKER, ROSELLA "ROSIE" BERGEN, Bakersfield, Calif , was born June 17, 1912, to Jacob and Katherine Bergen in Dinuba, Calif., and died June 26, 2005, at the age of 93. On Sept. 2, 1930, she married Thomas Petker, who predeceased her in 1959 She is surv ived by one son, Robert; one daughter, Norma Steward; five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren

WIENS, ERNA EVA REIMER. Reedley, Calif , a member of Reed ley MB Church, was born Nov 14, 1924, to John and Alvina Riffel Reimer in Dallas, Ore , and died Aug. 4, 2005 , at the age of 80 On Aug 27, 1966, she married John Wiens, who predeceased her in 1980 She is survived by fou r brot hers, Wilbur of En id, Ok la , Willard and wif e Viola of Portland, Ore , Vernon and wife JoE ll a of Bakersf ield, Calif , and Da n and wife Glo ri a of Co nc ord , Calif.; two sisters, Vio la an d husband Arlo Heinrichs of Hico , Texas , and Eunice and husband Phil Qu iring of Di nuba, Ca lif ,

CHURCH news · ·

and 27 nephews and nieces

VOGT, LEROY F., Westmins ter Colo , a member of Belleview Commun ity Church, Li ttleton, Colo , was born April 27, 1936 to Barney and Anna Vogt in Premon t, Texas, and died Aug 13,2005, at the age of 69 On Aug 17, 1956, he married Mil dred Frantz, who survives He is a so survived by two sons , Bradley and wi fe Ka t hi of Broomfield, Colo , and Curtis and wife Me l issa of Westminster, Co lo.; one daughter, Den ise and husband Mark Funk of Flagst aff, Ariz ; one brother, Raymond of Tulsa, Okla ; two sisters, Eleano r Petker of Batt leground, Wash., and Dorothy He idebre cht of Fresno , Calif., and nine grandchildren.

VOGT, ROGER, Santa Clara, Calif., a member of the El Camino Bible Church, Santa Cl ara, was born Nov 14, 1935, to Raymond and Betty Vogt and died Aug

21, 2005 , at the age of 69 On Oct. 9, 1964, he married Mary Patzkowsk i Powers, who survives. He is al so survived by one stepson, Mike Powers of Ba i ley, Colo .; one step - daughter, Colleen Robinson of Corva llis , Ore., nine step -grandchildren and two step -great-grandchildren

ZWEIGLE, ROY, Harvey, NO, a member of Harvey MB Church, was born Feb 9,1911, near Harvey, NO, and died July 26, 2005, at the age of 94 On June 25, 1933, he married Nettie Reimche, who predeceased him in 1997 He is survived by two sons, Gary of Olympia, Wash., and Lowell of Kent, Wash.; two daughters, Jean Rust of Martin, NO, and Donna Vinarskai of San Antonio, Texas; the spouses of his children, Jim Rust, Eleanor Zwe igle, Jim Vinarskai and Ann Zweigle, 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great -grandchild.

CELEBRATIN G

Backward and forward

InsuLated Lives lead celebrities to say unreal things

Ihave a strange fascination with today's media stars . But it isn't their fashions or lifestyles or latest projects that intrigue me. It's the sad and silly things many celebrities say when microphones are stuck in the vicinity of their vocal chords.

For example one young actress recently pontificated on the subject of marriage and fidelity. She said marital faithfulness probably wasn't realistic but hoped anyway that her famous husband would be, like, kind of faithful. If not, she didn't want to about it.

One can only speculate on how long this marriage will last.

I'm not sure how celebrity utterances , no matter how superfluous, get elevated to pop philosophy. Perhaps interviewers just coax stars into being chatty, and the interviewees don't expect their personal thoughts to be broadcast all over creation Sure Celebrities have to know their words and deeds will be shouted from the media rooftops. That's why some are more secretive than others. One suspects the stars who opinionate about everything rather enjoy being viewed as leaders and gurus to the underprivileged folks who drive Hondas, shop at Target and have to do their own laundry and parenting.

The problem with celebrity proclamations is that they aren't always grounded in reality. Many rich and famous people cultivate insulated lives. By contrast we real -world folks have to grind out a living, watch what we spend and do menial chores ourselves We can't afford a bevy of assistants, a schedule of luxury vacations or a swapping out of trophy-spouses every few years . People don't hang on our words. Thus we're aware that the world doesn't revolve around us and that we don't know everything And even if we did , no one would listen anyway.

The rich and famous are often emboldened by popularity to

philosophize on the world as they see it, which isn't always related to the world in which most people exist. Thus you get the actress portraying marital infidelity as inevitable in a Hollywood culture full of beautiful stars. That isn't the world I live in.

It reminds me of the Isaiah passage that says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight" (5:20-21) It's an apt description of pop culture, where everything is backward and forward. The morally shifty are praised as cool and cutting edge while people of integrity are criticized as fools and fogies.

On the subject of things that are backward and forward, I've always been intrigued by a couple of things Jesus said that seem to be self-contradictory. At one point when someone outside the disciples' circle was going around expelling demons , Jesus said to let it go and observed, "Whoever is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:4°). But another time when answering his detractors, Jesus seemed to say the opposite: " He who is not with me is against me" (Matt. 12:30).

So which is it?

We would probably say that Jesus really wasn't contradicting himself but was speaking to different situations. But I wonder: Does the behavior of many Christians today reflect a misunderstanding of Jesus' words?

These days I hear a lot of "he who is not with me is against me" talk. Christians are taking sides and issuing strong condemnations about the culture "out there." Perhaps there are times to do that, but I wish we'd save our loudest proclamations for the subject of God's grace. That's the me ssage in "whoever is not against us is for us."

We churchgoers tend to take comfort behind the sanctuary walls and think the greatest dangers come from the outside. But are they really within? When Jesus says, "He who is not with me is against me," he was talking about religious people. They knew Scripture inside and out and were very upright and righteous in their lifestyles and worldviews. Yet they criticized Jesus incessantly for his healings and care for the hurting and resisted his teaching about wholehearted love for God and others

The outsider, at least, was trying to help people. That went a long way with Jesus: "Whoever is not against us is for us ."

Just like our culture, today's churches can get it backward and forward We look for the enemy out there while the spiritual resisters spread division and disinterest from within

Do the dues

Most congregations ignore per member giving goals. Why?

Sometimes what we need is action-not words. This editorial is a call to action . It is a call to U.S . Mennonite Brethren to fund 100 percent of the church giving income line for denominational ministries. And to do so not because many words and dollars have been spent to motivate us but for a much simpler reason: It 's the right thing to do

The stuff we Mennonite Brethren do together - global missions, seminary, colleges, church planting, leadership development, youth ministry, world relief, global networking , publications and denom inational infrastructures - costs money. Our ministries rely on MB churches to provide what in many cases is a significant portion of their income .

Our denomination does not require "dues" from individuals or member congregations. But our ministries do provide per member giving goals to help churches in setring their annual budgets. Most of our congregations ignore those goals. Why? Maybe it's because the goals are extravagant. So I did some checking

Each summer the U.S. Conference forwards to churches permember giving goals for three national ministries The 2005 goals for the U.S. Conference ($35 to $55 depending on church size ), MBMS International ($100) and MB Biblical Sem inary ($22 ) total at most $177·

There are also regional denominational giving goals

The Southern District Conference asks each church to contribute four percent of its annual budget to the district To find a per member SDC giving goal for purposes of this editorial, r divided the SDC budget by the number of reported members to get a perperson goal of $41. The Pacific District Conference per member goal ranges from $24 to $48 depending on church size. The Central District Conference goal is $105 permember. I do not have giving goals for the North Carolina or Latin America district conferences.

The districts also financially support two MB colleges . The Southern , Centra\' Latin America and North Carolina districts support Tabor College while the Pacific District Conference supports Fresno Pacific University Recent reports show that both colleges use a per member giving range with $55 as the highest.

While the dollar amount will vary depending on congregation size and district, the call to action stands Determine your share of ministry funding and then commit to fulfilling it. For someone like me who lives in the Southern District, MB ministries would like me to contribute to them through my church $273 a year at the most or $22.75 a month

But it's not that simple, you say Talk to the people responsible for raising funds for district ministry, Tabor College, Fresno Pacific University, the U S. Conference, MB Biblical Seminary or MBMS International and you soon realize that the issues related to funding denominational ministries are complex .

You also realize how much effort our ministries already put into reminding us to give They send el ectron ic newsl etters, magazines and letters Their representatives visit our homes and churches DVDs are produced and mailed to each

congregation . Special events are held to inform us and invite our support

It is naYve to suggest that raising millions of dollars for Mennonite Brethren education, church planting , foreign missions and discipleship is just a matter of each of us putting less than $25 a month in the offering plate

r know That' s what we keep saying

It's not that simple, you say Ministry is never ending If we fully fund our schools, mission agency and the district and national conferences they1l just dream new dreams and increase their fund requests

It's not that simple, you say. Local church expenses are significant. Another $25 a month may not sound like much, but when added to local church expenses not related to denominational ministries it's a lot .

And what about people who struggle to make ends meet financially? We don't want people to feel guilty if they just can' t afford another $25 each month. Nor do we want to limit people who may want to give much more than $25 a month.

It' s not that simple . That figure is just for one person , you say We have three church members in our family so that is really $75 a month We can't afford that!

And hold on here, you say. Didn't you admit earlier that $25 isn't a dollar amount that holds across the denomination? It might b e more - or less We can't mount a campaign on loose numbers like this.

There are also theological issues involved, you say. Giving isn't something you can legislate. Giving is an act of worship It's a demonstration of thankfulness. It's a commitment that says r understand that everything I have is God's I'm just a caretaker It's something that can't be judged by outward actions; it's a matter of the heart.

And this is the point at wh ic h I say that we need action and not more words

What if we put persuasive words and arguments aside? What if we blessed our regional and national conferences and denominational ministries with 100 percent of our giving goal? What would happen then?

What would our denomination look like if funds from congregations would actually come in at the suggested levels?

Let's find out. - CF

Clearing HOUSE ···

MPLOYMENT: CHURCH

Lead Pastor: The Buhler MB Church in Buhler, Kan , is looking for a lead pastor to be part of our four - pe rson pasto ral team. We are an act ive, healthy, 500-member small town church that believes Jesus Christ is Lord of ou r lives Buhler MB is comm itted to being a sending church to the pastorate and missions and feels called to fulfill our Christ-centered pu r pose in t he worl d. Applicants should have an understand ing and belief in Anabapt ist theology, prefe rably with five years experience in a lead or associate pastor position in a multiple staff setting. We are looking for a man with demonst rate d gifts for leading , preaching , teaching, caring , commun icating, developing strong staff and vi sion for the future Resume may be sent to the Search Committee at Buh ler MB Chu rch , 415 N West St reet, Buhler, KS 67522 or e-mailed to inforclbuhlermb.org (1/12J

MPLOYMENT: AGENCY

Insurance/Financial Services Sales: Are you looking for a career that combines your professional skills and your Christian faith values? If so, Mennonite MutualAid wants to talk with you. We are a church-related organization whose primary mission is to help people manage their God-given gifts. MMA is seeking sales professionals to help provide insurance and financial solutions to individuals and businesses, primarily associated with Mennonite and other Anabaptist-related denominations Openings in Pennsylvania , Virginia , Ohio, Indiana, Kansas , Oregon and other states Excellent compensation and benefits packages. To learn more, visit www mma-online.org/careers. Fax or e-mail resume to (574J 537-6635 or hrrclmma-online.org. (8/10J

l Tabor Collegl....-e_

Saturday

• Home football game vs University of Saint Mary

• Pizza party

• Concert with Christian recording artists Matthew West, Shawn McDonald, and Paul Wright

Sunday

• Campus worship service

Campus Visit Days November 12-13

Many estates are not distributed according to the individual's desires, simply because the estate plan was outdated.

Ask the following questions:

• Are witnesses to your will still living?

• Have you moved to another state since your will was drafted?

• Does your will appoint a personal representative who would be unable to serve today because of where he or she lives?

• Have minor children become financially independent, resulting in a change in your desires for estate distribution?

• Have tax laws changed since you last reviewed your estate plan?

• Do you need to explore the use of a trust?

• Have your charitable interests changed since your will was drafted?

• Has the size of your estate increased substantially, resulting in a need for tax plann ing?

• Does your present estate plan provide for management of property in case of disability prior to death?

• Are there additional methods you may employ to avoid probate at the time of death?

Your answers to these and other questions may indicate that you need to update your estate plan.

We have prepared a special Guide To Planning Your Estate that will be of value to you as you review your estate plan, to make sure it is up-to-date and will carry out your current distribution desires

Please write today for your free copy. There

iS no cost or obligation. We just want to help

• Academic fair with professors